Ripe for the Picking
by TLS Lyrics and Lemons Contest
Summary: Submission #37 for TLS Lyrics & Lemons O/S Contest


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**TLS Lyrics and Lemons Contest**

Song: "You Picked Me" by A Fine Frenzy

**http : / / tinyurl . com / 3mlgkkx**

****Rating: M/NC-17

Word Count: 3,615

Pairing: Bella/Edward

Summary: Bella and Edward meet as children, and are inseparable from that moment on. They are best friends and lovers, in every sense of those words. Here's their story of laughs, love, and living.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight and its characters, and A Fine Frenzy owns the rights to the music and lyrics in the song "You Picked Me". This story is in no way an attempt at copyright infringement.

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**Ripe for the Picking**

**BPOV**

_one two three  
>counting out the signs we see<br>the tall buildings  
>fading in the distance<br>only dots on a map_

_**November 2005**_

"Baby, can you stop at the next exit? I need to use the bathroom," I stated as innocently as possible while looking out of the window. I watched as the road signs indicated how much closer we were to our destination.

I stifled a giggle as I heard him sigh in frustration. This was the first time we'd been home since we moved to Seattle to attend college; we were both a little antsy to get there. We'd been on the road for about five hours for a trip that usually only took three and a half, and I knew that stopping was the last thing he wanted to do.

But he knew me, and knew this side of me better than anyone else.

"Bella, we just stopped less than an hour ago! We should've been home by now, sweetie. Can you try to hold it?" he stated, with a hint of frustration, but also resignation.

He knew that we were going to stop.

"Edward, do you want me to hold my pee so that I need to use Depends at the age of thirty? Surely, you don't want to have to walk around with me in an adult diaper!" I stated while giving him my sweetest smile.

As much as Edward struggled to keep that deliciously inviting scowl on his face so that he appeared firm, he couldn't help but smirk at my words.

"Okay, we'll stop at the next gas station exit so you can use the bathroom and avoid urinary incontinence," he said, shaking his head and finally giving in to his laughter.

"Good! The last sign we passed said there was a gas station about two exits up. Thank you, baby!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just remember this stop the next time you ask, 'are we there yet?'"

After about ten minutes we took the exit off of the highway. We both got out of the car once we reached the gas station, and while Edward made his way to the pump to refuel, I made my way to the object of my intentions – the antique shop about three doors down.

I tried to be sly about my change of direction, but the growl-yell that erupted from my boyfriend behind me let me know the jig was up.

Suddenly, I was being lifted off the ground into his arms as he laughed and tickled me mercilessly.

"I knew it, you little schemer! I should've known better!" "'Oh Edward, I have to go to the bathroom!'" he said in a higher octave, mimicking me as he continued his attack.

I laughed and squealed as I begged for mercy, until he finally put me back down. And for all his frustration and exasperation over the stop, he simply kissed my lips softly and shook his head lovingly as he guided me into the store.

He knew me.

_four five six  
>the two of us a perfect fit<br>you're all mine all mine_

_and all I can say  
>is you blow me away<em>

Edward knew me like no other because he was as much a part of my life and my history as my own family. We'd been together so long, we didn't really count the big moments along the way as others did, or consider them anniversaries; those moments were too numerous to count anyway, considering his importance in my life. He was my first everything: kiss, slow dance, and reason to cry.

We were children when we met, and I think I fell in love with him right then and there. Although it was a fairly distant memory, it was one of the things that stood out the most among a sea of others.

I remember hating the dress my mother made me wear. I remember that it had come from a very expensive store, and that she was very worried about me getting it dirty. Even as a seven year old I couldn't understand why she would want me to wear such a fancy dress just to move in. She said it was important to look nice so we made a good first impression. Even though it was my favorite color of green, jade green I'd find out years later, I still didn't want to wear it, or the tights she paired with it… 

_**August 1996 (Seven years old)**_

"_Even if I have to keep the dress on, mommy didn't say anything about these tights!" I huffed out, as I decided to get rid of those at least._

_While I was on the floor taking them off, I looked out the window and saw the great, big apple tree that stood in our backyard._

_I didn't want to move here when my parents told me daddy had found a better job. I liked our house in Arizona; it was always warm and sunny there. Here it was cold and wet. The only thing I liked about Washington was that there was a lot of green: the trees, the moss, the frogs, and so much more. It was so much greener than Arizona. I missed my friends, and I was sure that when I started school in a month nobody would like me and I'd be all alone._

_Something that made me happy when we got here was the large tree with bright, green apples growing__in our backyard. Since my room faced the yard, I could see it all the time._

_When I heard mom call out for me, I tip-toed down the stairs and ran out into the yard to avoid her. All I'd wanted since we first arrived was to try and climb that apple tree. My parents worried though, and told me I couldn't because I would hurt myself. _

_They didn't know that tree-climbing was one of my favorite hobbies in Arizona, and I never once was hurt. _

_I started to climb the tree, trying my best not to get my dress dirty. It really was a very pretty tree, and seeing it up close with all the apples growing and the leaves in bloom made it even more fun._

_I finally got to the top and sat on one of the branches so I could look around at my new home. Although I hadn't wanted to move from Arizona, our house was really nice, and I could see how much happier my parents were. _

_After sitting up there for a few minutes, I decided to pick an apple and get down before my mom or dad caught me. As I went to reach for the apple I wanted, I heard mom's voice._

"_Oh hello! It's so nice to meet you!" she exclaimed. _

_I was so afraid she would catch me that her voice startled me and made me lose my balance. I didn't have time to think or to even scream before I was falling. When I hit the ground, I didn't fall on top of grass, but a big lump of something that was moving. I screamed._

"_Hey! Why are you screaming! You're the one that jumped out of a tree on top of me!" said the voice from under me. Once I stood up, I saw that it was a boy. A boy with odd reddish-orange colored hair and really nice green eyes._

"_I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I just got scared when I heard my mom and ended up falling," I said as I looked down, afraid that he was angry with me._

_It was quiet for a minute, and I felt the tears coming to my eyes, then I heard "Hey, it's okay. You just scared me," he said. "I'm fine – really. Are you okay?"_

_I looked up to see that he was smiling at me, and all of a sudden I felt better. He seemed really nice, and I was happy I hadn't hurt him. I looked down and although nothing hurt and I didn't see any scratches, I saw that my dressed was ripped._

"_Oh no! I'm going to be in so much trouble when my mom sees what I did to my dress!" I was about to start crying for real this time, when he reached out and grabbed my hand._

"_It's okay. We'll figure out something. I'll tell her it was my fault," he said, trying to make me feel better._

"_Oh, I can't let you do that!"_

"_No! It's okay. I don't want you to get in trouble, especially on your first day here."_

"_How did you know it was my first day here?" I asked._

"_I came over with my parents; they told me we were coming to welcome the new Chief of Police and his family. I'm Edward. What's your name?"_

"_Bella. It's nice to meet you Edward."_

"_It's nice to meet you too. Come on. Let's go play some more and think of a way not to get you in trouble. It will be okay."_

_like an apple on a tree  
>hiding out behind the leaves<br>I was difficult to reach  
>but you picked me<br>like a shell upon a beach  
>just another pretty piece<br>I was difficult to see  
>but you picked me,<br>yeah you picked me_

It was a good thing that our parents became good friends, because from that day on we were inseparable. While I was busy falling out of a tree, Edward's parents, Carlisle and Esme, were welcoming my parents to the area and introducing themselves. Since Carlisle was the Chief of Surgery and specialized in trauma, he and Charlie consulted with one another on a lot of work matters. And from the moment Esme said she was an interior designer, my mother knew she'd found a kindred spirit. If there was one thing Renee loved, it was decorating. Pretty soon, Esme was over the house regularly helping us unpack and organize, and she always brought Edward for me to play with. He quickly became my best friend, and somewhere, somehow over the years, he became even more. I don't know if it was something we talked about or planned really, but one day my best friend had become my everything. He was the only boy I'd ever want; the only boy I'd ever love.

_so softly,  
>rain against the windows<br>and the strong coffee  
>warming up my fingers<br>in this fisherman's house  
>you got me,<br>searched the sand  
>and climbed the tree<br>and brought me back down_

_**May 2011**_

"Are we almost there? I swear I don't know what type of terrain you have me traveling over, but I feel like I'm going to fall at any moment!" I whined as I held onto Edward's hand tightly.

I hated surprises, and he knew this, but when he showed up to my house with a blindfold and a smile as big as the sun, I knew I couldn't refuse whatever he had planned.

I didn't think a twisted ankle was a part of the plan.

"Stop being so dramatic!" he laughed out as he continued to gently guide me to wherever we were going. "Besides, you know I won't let you fall. I've always got you."

I smiled and gripped onto his hand a little tighter, but stopped my questioning after that. It was true; ever since our first encounter, he'd never let me fall again. He was my champion when I walked into elementary school after that first summer, with few friends and no history with the place. He introduced me to all his friends and always made sure to include me, even when hanging out with girls wasn't cool with some of the other boys. He was my rock throughout junior high school when falling in love with books and music made me an outcast among girls like Jessica and Lauren who suddenly discovered perfume and makeup. And he was my light in high school, when we finally became more than friends and began our romantic relationship.

"Alright, we're here," he said while removing the blindfold from my eyes with a flourish of his hands.

As I looked around, I went from being amused at his antics to shocked at what I saw before me.

"Edward, where are we?"

"Do you like it?" he asked simply, as he led me up the steps of the house we were standing in front of. It was a charming little white 2-storey house with green shutters and a wraparound porch.

"It's lovely, but whose is it? What is it for?" I asked, confused about what we were doing here. Edward just smiled at me and grabbed my hand as he led me into the home. We walked around mostly in silence, with Edward pointing out things here and there. It had two bedrooms, one full bathroom, and one half bathroom. There was a living room, a small dining room, and a lovely kitchen with a breakfast nook that faced the side of the house. We left out of the backdoor that was in the kitchen as well, and I was suddenly awe-struck at the apple trees and the body of water that was located behind the little house.

"It was renovated about two years ago, and the last couple to live here had it cleaned before they moved about three months ago, so it's in good shape. I know it's a little bare, but I figured that's something you and our moms would have fun with, and…"

"Wait a minute," I cut him off while shaking my head "Edward, what are you saying? Is this place ours? How? Why..."

I went from confused to utterly surprised as Edward took that moment to drop down on one knee in front of me and looked up at me with those jade green eyes that I fell in love with so many years ago.

"Bella, I've been trying to think of the best way to do this since the moment I walked into this house a month ago and decided it needed to be ours. I remember how you always said as kids that you wanted a little house with a lake or pond in the back so you could fish with your dad and play in the water. I know we were ten years old when you said that, but like everything else about you, it's stuck with me."

He pulled out a velvet box and opened it to reveal the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. It there was a solitaire teardrop diamond surrounded by small emeralds on a white gold band covered in small diamonds. I was so mesmerized by how stunning it was that it took me a moment to realize he'd begun to speak again.

"Baby, I've loved you since before I knew what love really was, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to live together here and start our life together. Maybe even have some little girls who look just like you and have your same love of tree climbing. Bella, do you want that too? Will you marry me?"

"Oh Edward, I've wanted that just as long as you have. Of course I'll marry you."

In an instant I was in his arms and my mouth was attached to his. We'd shared many kisses over our time together: some sweet, some passionate, some playful, and always enjoyable. But this kiss was like no other. It conveyed all the love, happiness, and lightness that we felt about finally taking this step together.

I was so wrapped up in our kiss and in him that I hadn't noticed we were moving until I felt my back hit something. I disentangled myself from Edward to look around and realized that we were back inside the house, up against the front door.

When I looked up at my new fiancé, I could see not only love and admiration, but want and desire. The same things I was sure were being reflected in my eyes.

Silently, I began to remove my tank top and shorts as I quirked my eyebrow at Edward to see if he would mimic my actions. He smirked at me slyly before he grabbed my hands and said, "I want to do that," in that husky voice that always made me shiver.

He reached behind me and encased me in his arms as he slowly unhooked my bra, while he placed heated open-mouthed kisses against the side of my neck. When he was finished, he continued to kiss and bite my neck as his hands drifted over my ribs and towards my hips.

With the lightest touch, he slid his hands under the waistband of my lace boy-shorts, and slowly slid them down my legs. As he kneeled before me, he began to lick and nibble on my stomach in a way that caused me to moan.

"Oh God, Edward. Please!" I moaned, knowing he'd give me exactly what I needed. Once my panties were off, his kisses head further down to the place I desired him the most. He was being teasing and slow to the point of agony with his movements, knowing exactly what made me needy with desire.

As soon as he used his amazingly long fingers to feel and spread my moisture, I cried out and arched against the door, needing more from him.

"Damn, baby. You're so wet. Does being my fiancé turn you on?"

"Yes. God, I want you so bad, Edward. I need you."

Hearing the desperation in my voice, he lifted my left leg over his shoulder and leaned in to lick between my slick folds, causing me to pant and writhe in ecstasy.

At first he just licked me up and down, slowly and with a light pressure. But soon he was circling my clit with his tongue and using his fingers to pump inside of me. By this point I was just a mess of overwhelming sensations, and every movement of his tongue caused me to cry out and rock against him.

When he curled his fingers inside of me and bit down on my clit, I couldn't take it anymore. As I began to pulse and squeeze against his fingers and tongue, I grabbed is hair and rode his face until my orgasm subsided.

When he licked me clean, I had to hold on to his shoulders, because I could barely stand.

Once he finished, he stood up and kissed me, and we both moaned at the experience of tasting me as our tongues met.

"Was that what you wanted, baby?" Edward asked with a sexy smirk, knowing the effect he'd had on me. The effect he always has on me.

"Yes. But now, I want more," I said, as I bit my lip and began to remove him of his t-shirt and jeans.

"You always want more!" he laughed.

"With you? Always," I said, before I dropped down to my knees and removed his boxers and took his long, thick cock into my hands.

And right there in the entrance way of our new home, I showed him how true that statement was and would be for years to come.

_and all I can say  
>is you blow me away<em>

We didn't want to wait to get married. I knew even before Edward proposed that he was it for me. Why wait to start a future that we'd both wanted and envisioned since before we hit puberty? While lying in Edward's arms in our home that first night, he told me that his parents and mine were aware of his plans. In fact, Charlie had been the person to give him recommendations on where to look for the home. That made it easier to break the news to them that we wanted to get married as soon as possible.

One month later, I stood waiting for my father to collect me so that I could walk down the aisle and into the waiting arms of my future. I couldn't help but smile at the collection of things that I was taking with me to the altar. When it came time to figure out my "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue," Edward had conspired with my bridal party to make it as memorable and significant to this day as possible. For my something blue, my best friends Alice and Rosalie gave me a silky little garter to wear under my dress. Esme gave me my something borrowed: a white gold necklace with a circular diamond pendant to wear – the same necklace she'd worn on her wedding day. But for my something old, Esme placed the two antique hair combs that I'd found at that antique shop a few years ago in my hair, telling me that Edward had taken them and given them to her weeks ago for this day. And for my something new, the night before Edward presented me with a beautiful pair of emerald and diamond earrings…in the shape of apples. It was his wedding gift to me.

And as I walked down the aisle towards him, I couldn't believe how far we'd come to get to this day. I couldn't believe that one man could fill so many roles in my life and make my heart so full. I couldn't believe that he picked me.

_like an apple on a tree  
>hiding out behind the leaves<br>I was difficult to reach  
>but you picked me<br>like a shell upon a beach  
>just another pretty piece<br>I was difficult to see  
>but you picked me, yeah you picked me<em>


End file.
